Monday, July 23, 2012

This is a tasty protein shake! You can use whatever type of protein powder you prefer (raw, soy, rice, whey)..I use a pharmaceutical grade whey that can be purchased online. It is by far the most flavorful whey protein powder I have tasted. It does not give me gas or constipate ( I know a little to much information but it is important to know)...I grow mint in my garden ( add as much as you like)...I have photographed all ingredients above just in case you were wondering the ones I use and prefer!

I also added about a teaspoon of Extra virgin coconut oil to my smoothie ( coconut oil helps in losing weight ...believe it or not...it also helps to make the smoothies creamy!) Ok now for the recipe:

I used:

8 oz. of Almond breeze chocolate almond milk ( unsweetened only)

1 scoop of chocolate protein powder (about 1/4 cup)

2 tbsp. of raw cacao ( Navista naturals)

1tbsp of chia seeds ( no need to grind these)

1tbsp of hemp SEEDS (not powder)

15 fresh mint leaves ( more if you really like mint)

1 teasp. EV Coconut oil

5-6 ice cubes

Throw everything in your blender mix until smooth!

YUMMY!

Below I will put the links for the raw cacao and the protein powder I use : just click on the link it will take you to each site!

Saturday, July 21, 2012

This is my niece Adriana...she loves to come and help me in the kitchen...we make our own healthy pizza's.....I do this every friday for Lou and I.....all it takes is imagination...Here we made a veggie pizza......the dough is from our local grocery store ( it is a basic dough with no trans fat in it)..you can make your own dough if you have the time...I use a white dough here because the kids do not like wheat...I cut fat down by using low fat cheese ( fat free does not work well here)....we are able to add a ton of flavor with our seasonings( I really like Williams- Sonoma's pizza spice)...artichoke hearts, roasted red peppers, spinach, roasted tomatoes and sauteed mushrooms....if you like pepperoni buy turkey or less fat pepperoni...you can use red onion, sweet peppers or hot pepper rings ( just remember healthy, if you like sausage ues a turkey or chicken sausage instead)...I use a pizza stone...the heat works best high (450')....the cooking time for my oven is usually 9-10 minutes...when I pull it out of the oven I sprinkle it with just a touch of parmesan cheese....delicious!! My family (sisters, brothers and their kids love my pizza nights!)...yours will too....without blowing your healthy eating habits ( notice I did not say diet)...

* You can also use a marinara sauce for the sauce...Lou and I do not like much sauce on our pizza. Marinara sauce does add some great flavor to the pizza!!

Wednesday, July 18, 2012

1 Cucumber ( if organic just wash and juice) wash and remove skin if it has wax on it
1 lemon (peel yellow skin off leaving as much white pith on)
1 apple ( sweet...not a granny smith)
3 leaves of Kale (lacinato...also know as dinosaur...) or spinach

Juice all in a juicer....enjoy...fresh juice should be consumed immediately for highest levels of nutrients.

Monday, July 9, 2012

Hi Peeps...this is from New Beauty Magazine email

I thought I would share it with you all...many do not understand how sugar ages us....also at the end of the article they share a good eye cream ...I will be trying this one soon! Be well. Bisous! Tammy

Fight the Negative Effects of Sugar in Your Skin

Posted Monday, July 02, 2012 by Anjelle Ruppe, Contributing Writer

Sure, you know that sugar isn’t exactly the best ingredient to consume on a daily basis, after all, it's bad for your figure and can also cause wrinkles.

That's because sugar molecules in your system attach to fats and proteins in a process called glycation, which leads to advanced glycation end products, commonly called AGEs, that cause protein fibers to become stiff and malformed.

Unfortunately, the proteins in your skin that are most prone to glycation happen to be the same ones that make a youthful complexion plump: collagen and elastin. During the process, they become discolored, weak and less supple, which then shows up on the skin as wrinkles, sagginess and a loss of radiance.

What's worse, these external signs start to show up around the age of 30 to 35, when sun damage, environmental oxidative stress, hormonal changes and the development of AGEs begins to result in fine lines.

It’s important to note that refined sugar is not the only culprit. Whole grains, fruits and vegetables also turn to glucose when digested, although there is less damage and these foods are necessary for our health. So, we shouldn’t completely eliminate all types of sugar from our diets. Thankfully, there are some options to fight off the unwanted results of glycation.

With regards to your diet, stay away from white sugar and high-fructose corn syrup, which studies have found increase the rate of glycation by 10 times, along with simple carbs. You can also take supplemental carnosine, an amino acid that has been shown to protect against AGE buildup.

Skin care is also important to slow glycation. Products that contain viable AGE fighters began to appear five years ago. Now that glycation is widely known as a major cause of aging, there are plenty of anti-aging creams containing AGE fighters, too. Green tea has been proven to significantly interfere with the glycation process, while it also stimulates collagen synthesis. So, use a product that contains this antioxidant-rich ingredient, or drink it regularly, to protect your skin from glycation.

“Anything that stimulates the fibroblasts to build new collagen is going to help eradicate damage,” says New York dermatologist Fredric Brandt, MD, who also notes that retinoids and some dermal fillers fall into this category as well.